Electric lamp socket



May 1935- F. w. $LAD.Y 2,001,317

ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET Filed June 8, 1927 Patented May 14, 1935 flJNl-TEDSTATES ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET Frank W. Slady, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor toLeviton Manufacturing Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a copartnership composedof Isidor Leviton and Evser'Leviton Application June s, 1927, Serial No.19' 7,261

20 Claims.

This invention relates to a shell and cap for housing the switchmechanism of an electric lamp socket that can be made very economically.The shell and cap can be readily connected to '5 and disconnected fromeach other, and are positively held in firm engagement when assembled,so that danger of longitudinal movement of the two with respect to eachother, as well as danger of circumferential movement of the two with 10:respect to each other, is eliminated. The holdingmeans to preventlongitudinal and circumferential movement of the shell and cap are somade that edges of cut metal of each contact with edges of out metal ofthe other to provide positive locking engagement of the two. I

The invention will be understood from the description' in connectionwith the accompanying.

drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the cap; Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the shell; and Fig. 3 is a section showing thetwo-in assembled relation with engaging portions thereof on-an enlargedscale. a

In the drawing, reference character 5 indi-. cates the metal cap that isprovided with a skirt 35 or flange portion 6 i; the usual type. Theflange or skirt portion 6 is provided with a circumferential series ofinwardly projectingtongues. The tongues are made by having a series ofslits 1 parallel to the edge of the flange and spaced fromjeach other;all being on the same circumferential line, with pairs of slits 8extending from the ends of the slits] in' an axial direction toward theedge of the cap, and terminating short thereof. v The tongues 9 arepushed inwardly, as indicated, with their upper ends, as well as theiredges, formed of cut metal. The tongues are preferably madeapproximately as wide as the distance between the tongues, and 20tongues have been foundto be a convenient number on the standard sizecap. The metal shell I!) is of the well known type with a slot I I, thatmay be a key slot, extending downwardly from the upper edge thereof. Theupper-end of the slot Il may be widened, as indicated at I2, so as toaccommodate one or more of the tongues 9. The upper edge of the shell I0is provided with corrugations l3, equal in number to the number oftongues 9 on the cap, having'valleys l4 pre'fe erably slightly widerthan the crests E in a circumferential direction. When the valleys M areslightly wider than the crests l5, and the tongues 9 are as wide as thespaces between the tongues, each of these valleys is slightly wider thaneach of the tongues 9, so that the tongues 9 lie entirely within thevalleys I l when the shell and cap are assembled without necessitatingthe edges of the tongues resting against the edges of the crests l5.However, when the valleys and crests occupy the same amount of space,the edges of the tongues are in line with the edges tongues will contactwithxthe cut metal edges of the shell to prevent relative rotationbetween the. two, as indicated at l5 and it''- ;(Fig. 3).;

Horizontal slits IB may be made in valleys i l of the corrugations onopposite sides of the shell l0 some distance from the end thereof, andthe .15 metalpressed outwardly toiorm projections H with cutmetal'lowerends leaving the sidesand the other ends thereof integralwith.the-remai n der of the shell. -The shell andcap are assembledsimply by forcing the shell into the-cap until 2 the, lowerends; of theprojections ll snap over the, inwardly projecting ends of-ycorrespondingtongues 9 topreventlongitudinal motion betweenthe shell and cap, whiletheedgespf one or more of the other tongues contact with the outwardlyprojectingedgesof the space 12 to prevent rela-- tive circumferentialmotionof the two. The shell may be withdrawn: simply bypressing alongone edge of the slot II to release the projections I! fromthe tongues9anclpulling downwardly. The formation ofv 20 tongues :and corrugationsprovides for 20 possible positionsof the shell ID in the cap 5to'procure so-calleduniversal connection between the cap and shell, inorder to locate the key slot in-any'desirable positionwithrespect 3 Itothecap. F

Iclaim:

1. In an electric light socket-a shell and cap,

a longitudinally extendingslot near theupper end of said shell,tongues'substantially parallel Q tothe axisof thecap extendinginwardlyalong the skirt of said-cap having their freeends pointingupwardly,;said tongues having cutmetal edges adapted tocontact with theedgesof said slot when said shell and cap are assembled.

-2. Inan electriclight socket, a shell and cap, alongitudinally-extending slot extending-from the upper end ofsaidshell'with itsedges pro-. jecting outwardly, tongues substantiallyparallel to theaxis of the cap extending inwardly along r .the skirt ofsaid caphaving their free ends pointing upwardly, said tongues having.cut metal edges adapted to contact with the edges ofsaid slot when saidcap and shell are assembled.

3. In an electric light socket, a shell and cap, said shell beingcorrugated at its upper end, a longitudinally extendingslot in theupperuend of said shell, tongues substantially parallel to the axis ofthe cap extendinginwardly along the skirt of said-cap having their freeendspointing upwardly, said tongues having cut metal edges adapted tocontact with the edges .ofsaid slot when saidshelland cap are assembled.

4. In an electriczlight socket, ashelland cap, said shell having axiallyextending corrugations at its upper end, a slot in the upper end of saidshell having its sides terminating "atlridges of said corrugations,tongues extending .inwardly along the skirt of said capLand'havingcutfmetal free edges along their sides! adapted to contacti with theedges of said slot when said shell and cap are assembled.

5. In an electric light socket a -shell and cap,

, a key slot in said shell extending longitudinally the edges ofsaidslot.

' of said shell and having the edges of its upper end extendingoutwardly, tongues extending inwardly along 'the skirt of said cap, thesides of said tongues being cut metal adapted tocontact with theedges-of said slotwhen said shell and cap are assembled.

'7. In anelectric lightsocket, a shell and'cap,*

a slot near the upper end of said'shell, uniform tongues substantiallyparallel to'the axis of the cap extending inwardly and upwardly alongthe skirt of said cap andprojections on said shell adapted to contactwith the free ends of some of said tongues when said shell and cap areassembled with other of'said tongues contacting with 8. In an electriclight socket, a'shelland'cap,

' a slot nearthe upper end of said shell, uniform "tongues extendinginwardly and upwardly along the skirt of said cap and. projectionshavingcut metal ends on said shell adaptedto contact with the-free ends of'some of said tongues when said shell andcap are assembled with other ofsaid tongues contacting with'the edges of said slot. 9. Inanelectriclight socket, a shell and cap,

., said shell being axially corrugated at its upper end, a slot in theupper end of said shell, equally spaced tongues substantially parallelto the axis of said cap extending inwardly along theskirt of said'cap,the edges of said tongues being out free and adapted to contact 'withtheedges of said slot when said shell and cap are assembled; said tonguesand corrugationsbeing' so spaced and located that said cap can beplaced'onsaidshell in a'plurality of circumferential positions;

10. In an electric light socket, a shell and cap, a slot near theupperend-of said shell, a-series of equally spaced uniform tongues wit threeout metal edges extending inwardly and upwardly along the skirt of saidcap and projectionsihaving cut metal ends on said shell adapted tocontact with the'freeendsof some of said tongues when said shell and capare assembled with other of said tonguescontacting with the edges: ofsaid slot. A

11. In an'electric light so'cke't, a shell and cap, a plurality ofinwardlyprojecting tongues on said cap having substantially parallelsides and having cut metal at their sides and at their inner ends, cutmetalon said'shell to engage without metal atthe ends of saidtongues-"to retain said shell and cap in assembledposition, and outmetal on said shell to engage with the sides of other of said tongues topreventrelative rotation between said cap and shell.

12; In an electric light socket, a shell and cap,

a plurality of similar, equally spaced inwardly projecting tongues onsaid cap having substantially parallelisides and having cut metal attheir sides and at their inner ends, cut metal on said shell to engagewith cut metal at the ends of said tongues to retain said shell and capin assembled position; and cut metal on said shell to engage with thesides of other of said tongues to prevent relative rotationbetween saidcap and shell.

13. In an electric light socket, a shell and cap, a plurality ofinwardly projecting tongues on said cap having cut'metal'at their sidesand at their inner ends, cut metal onsaid shellto engage with cut metalat the'ends of said tongues to retain said'shell and cap in'assembled'position, and out metal on said'shell' to engage with thesides ofother of said tongues to prevent relative rotation between saidcap and shell, saidcut metal on said shell extending outwardly fartherthan adjacent portions of said shell.

l4; Inan electric light socket, a shell and cap, a plurality of inwardlyprojecting tongues on said cap having cut metal at theirsides and attheir l5.- In an-electric. light socket comprising a.

cap and shell, a cap having a series-of equally spaced'tongues thereon,and means on said shell whereby some of said tongues prev'ent separationof-said cap and shell and others of which prevent rotation between saidcap andshell.

I6. 'A cap for electric light socket having opening forelectric wirestherethrough and having a series-oi equally spaced tongues on the skirtthereof, the lengths of said" tongues-being longitudinal of the axis ofsaid cap.

A 17. A capfor an electric light socket having an opening for electricwires therethrough and having a series of' equally spaced tongues on theskirt thereof, the ends of said tongues being parallel to theedg'e oisaid cap and the sides thereof being perpendicular to said ends.

' 18: A cap for an electric light'socket having an opening forelectric'wires therethrough and having a seriesof equally spacedsubstantially rectangularly shaped tongues on the skirt thereof, theends and sides of said tongues being formed-of cut metal.

19. A cap for an electric light socket having an opening for electricwires therethrough and I by' some of, said tongues prevent separation ofsaid cap and shell and othersof which prevent rotation between said capand shell, said means comprising cut metal edges of said shell parallelto its axis and cut metal edges of said shell in a plane perpendicularto its axis.

SLADY.

